Give Up or Get Results? There is no excuse for excuses:

BY PINA RIGOS - Lifestyle Fitness Australia Operations Manager

Most people who join the gym want change. They want to get fitter, healthier, stronger, lose weight, gain weight, reduce stress and, in general, make a positive step forward in their lives. They feel inspired and make a decision to get started. Making this decision is a great start, but it’s not always going to be enough to keep you motivated to exercise even when you really don’t feel like it.'

To hit those long term targets, you need to focus on the ‘WHY?’. Why do you want to lose that weight? Why do you want to reduce your stress? Dig deep and work out the ‘Why’ because it is this emotional trigger that will keep you motivated and give you the drive to continue.

So you know what you want to achieve, and now you know why that’s important to you. Next you must believe that you can do it! You are in charge of your life and you create your results. If you don’t really believe that you can, you won’t. It’s that simple.

Once you believe you will accomplish your goals you can start turning all those excuses into empowerment. Here are a few examples of the kinds of excuses that people experience.

“I don’t have time” – If I really wanted to achieve my goals I knew I could find the time, starting with as little as a one hour session, two times a week. The average Australian in 2009 spent 21.15 hours a week watching television (from a recent Roy Morgan survey) - that’s three hours a day. And once the TV program is over what have you gained? If giving up just two hours of television a week could improve your entire quality of life, that’s just too easy.

“This is too hard” – How many people say this when they are learning something new, about things that quickly became just simple tasks? I am sure if you take a second to think back you can remember something you felt this way about, like your first time behind the wheel of a car, something you now do with ease. Training is a bit like learning anything new, it may seem hard at first but once you get into it you see that all it takes is a bit of effort.

“I hate exercising” – This is just a mindset and you can change it. Have a think about what you do enjoy, and how you can incorporate that into your workout. Grab some music, or your mates, and have some fun.

“I need to be fit to go to the gym” – You don’t. People at the gym were all beginners once and know what it’s like, probably with a similar story to you. Don’t handicap yourself in achieving your goals - with access to personal trainers, group classes and a wealth of equipment and information, gyms are one of the best tools to use in any weight loss program.

As you can see these are just excuses and can be completely overcome with a bit of thought; but when confronted by them so many people accept them as truth and give up. Be aware of your thoughts and self-talk. What you think determines what you do. What you do determines what you accomplish.

When a self-limiting belief comes into your mind, change it. Choose to think “I will make time”, “it’s getting easier every day”, “I feel great”, “I love the gym”; these words will become your beliefs if you say them often enough and really get into it. Visualise and feel the desired outcome; see yourself there. These beliefs then become your reality.

So, your beliefs and thoughts will either lead you down the road of self-sabotage or motivate you to succeed. Excuses or results – you decide. If you need a little help, please just ask us. We are passionate about helping you and it’s what we do best!